The Blood Red Iris
by Hidden in the Trees
Summary: With the sixth Quarter Quells swiftly approaching, brother and sister are being pitted against one another. Mockingjay spoilers! If you have not read the book go read it now!
1. Chapter 1

**The Blood Red Iris**

President Snow appeared on screen, looking the same as he had more than twenty years ago. Or least that's what my mother said. I couldn't really argue though. Every time I'd seen him over the last fifteen years he'd looked identical. He began his long speech to announce the sixth Quarter Quell. I didn't really listen as he spoke. I didn't care about that part. I was only waiting to see what kind of torture he'd put us through this year. He turned and took a small envelope from a young boy and faced the cameras again before opening it. This is when I started to tune in, "And as a reminder to the rebels that not even the strongest among them could defeat the Capitol." He opened the envelope and began to read it. "On this year of the sixth Quarter Quell, the tributes will be reaped from any family with two or more children of the opposite genders that are between the ages of twelve and eighteen. A female tribute will be reaped and their brother will become the make tribute." My eyes widened. They hadn't run out of ideas by a long shot. Pitting brother and sister against each other gave a whole new meaning to cruelty. "Volunteers this year will be restricted. Anyone may volunteer for the girl but to volunteer for the boy you must have a close bond with the female tribute." So either way, whoever comes out of that arena will have lost someone important to them.

Three months later.

My eyes cracked open as a bright light shone down. It was blinding. Shading my eyes with my hand, I sat up and got out of bed. The ripped curtains that fell in front of our window billowed in the wind, letting the light pass through. Sighing, I stood up to stretch. There was no point in going back to sleep now anyways. Everyone in the district would be waking up soon to a day full of dread, and I was one of them. Today we were all to report to the town square for the reaping.

Slowly, I made my way over to the other side of the room to wake my mother and little brother. Unlike my brother, I didn't look like I was from around here. Here in District Eleven everyone had dark skin, hair and eyes. I had the dark brown hair but it had blood red streaks through it, though no one believed me when I said it was natural. No one knew where I got it from either. But I still looked more like my mother than anything. We were both pale with deep green eyes. She had come from somewhere else, but would never tell anyone where exactly. My guess was it held some bad memories for her so I never pried into it.

I started with my brother. Shaking him gently, trying to coax him out of sleep. He groaned a bit before his eyes opened. He groaned some more before actually speaking, "Hmmm? Iris, what time is it?" his voice still carried the sound of sleep. Smiling lightly, I glanced out the window. The sun was already high in the sky, so it was almost noon. I turned back to him and told him. He nodded and got up to go get ready. I stayed and moved on to my mother. I used the same approach as I did on my brother and shook her gently. She groaned but didn't wake up. Feeling a bit annoyed at this, I began to poke her repeatedly. That got her. She had always hated being poked and was up and out of bed before I could say anything.

She walked into the only other room in our house, the kitchen, to begin making breakfast. I didn't get my hopes up. The chances of us not eating much today were high. We hadn't had a decent meal in about a week now. I left her to her business and went to get ready for what may turn out to be the last normal day of my life. My mother had set out a dress for me to wear the day before. It was laid out on a chair by my bed. It was really quite beautiful, a deep red that brought out the colour of my eyes as well as the streaks in my hair. With no sleeves and held up mostly from a knot tied behind my neck. I was almost disgusted knowing I would have to wear it to the Capitol's self proposed holiday. _Heh, holiday my ass!_ I thought as I stared at the dress.

I was released from my moment of stupor only by my mother's voice as she announced breakfast. I was right. It wasn't much, a small plate of stale bread and scraps of cold groosling we'd caught about a week ago. It was enough to get me through the day so there was no need to complain. We'd long since grown used to being hungry, today was no different. We sat in silence, no one wanting to bring up the subject that was on everyone's minds.

When we were finished, my mother sent us both off to get ready. I returned to the chair with the dress and stripped down to my under clothes before putting it on. It truly was beautiful. Something I could never have hoped to get here in district eleven. It had apparently belonged to my mother when she was a child, though I couldn't even begin to think of how she would have gotten it.

Stark emerged from the other room in a neat white shirt and black pants. He looked far too cute in them I just couldn't help but go and hug him. As he struggled to free himself, all I could think was how much I prayed my name wouldn't be drawn at the reaping today to seal both our fates. He was only thirteen and had no idea how to survive in that sort of situation. The reaping was the only place where I couldn't protect him. The only place I was powerless and this situation only made it worse.

My mother came back into the room to do our hair. She began with Stark, combing through it and arranging individual strands. When she was finished about twenty minutes later, she started on me. She arranged it in its usual style. Two strands pulled back and tied in bandages on the back of my head. Normally, the rest was left down, but she continued on. She pulled out old broken curlers from a tattered bag next to her and set to work.

It took a good hour before she was finished. My hair was curled beautifully with the usual bandaged part at the back. I looked like myself, but at the same time, I didn't. My attention was turned towards my brother as he tugged on the hem of my dress. He pointed out the window to the sun. It was already almost two. We had to be in the town square soon for the reaping. Alerting my mother to this, she hurried and grabbed her things while my brother and I waited at the door. As we waited, a thought crossed my mind. If my name was drawn, I wouldn't have a chance to come back here, to visit or even select a token. Biting my lower lip, I quickly rushed over to a small wooden box. It was filled with objects my father had left for us before he died. Reaching in, I pulled out a simple wooden bracelet, adorned with a bright red and orange flame pattern. I slipped it on my wrist and hurried back to the door with Stark.

When my mother returned, we left the house and headed to the town square. There were only two outcomes for this evening. One: Either my brother or I were sent to our deaths, or two: we were lucky enough to evade it for another year. The chances of my brother returning home alive weren't the highest. Only the girl's were being reaped. Their brothers were just automatically chosen. And with all the tesserae I had had to sign up for, our chances of evading it this year were low.

We reached the town square where Stark and I were separated from our mother and thrown into the crowd of children. We were organized by age and gender but from where I was, I could still see him in the group of thirteen year olds. He spotted me as well and our eyes locked, never faltering from each other.

Our district's _escort, _Isabelle Raan stepped up onto the stage, accompanied by the two previous victors and the mayor. The victors were an elderly man named Edward and a younger woman named Clara. The mayor started his long speech about the history of Panem and so on. We had all heard it before. The story of the rebellion a hundred and fifty years ago that lead to the destruction of District thirteen and the reason we're all here today. The Hunger Games. As well as reminders of the second rebellion that had failed about seventy five years ago. The games had only become more brutal after that.

He droned on for about another half hour before anything actually happened. Isabelle reappeared on the stage and announced she was going to draw the names. She made her way over to the reaping ball that contained all the girl's names. She rummaged around in it for a couple moments before she drew a name. _Please, don't let it be me. Don't let it be me!_ I thought frantically as I locked eyes with Stark again. She read out the name, "...Iris Redwing." Stark's eyes widened and he stared at me but I just stared back blankly. It took me a moment before I realized the entirety of what had just been said.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yes chapter two! Ok so, thank you for the reviews I got on chapter one. They made me very happy. I'll try and get the next few chapters out when I can. Please review. Whether it's good or bad I don't care, it'll help me get better which will make my stories better. So, that's it for now. Enjoy.**

I made my way up to the stage and stood there, still in full blown shock. Isabelle cleared her throat before asking for volunteers. No one stepped forward. Both my fate and Stark's had just been decided. The verdict was being waved right in front of my face and it didn't look good. She walked over to me and asked loudly, "Alright Iris, acting in accordance to the rules of this year's Games, would you tell me the name of your brother?"

My heart sank. My greatest fear had just become a reality. I was being forced to send my own brother to his death. I spoke quietly, "...Stark Redwing."

She leaned in, holding a hand to her ear, "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"Stark Redwing!" I shouted. My hands were balled up into fists as I fought back tears; my nails pierced the skin on my palms and blood dripped between my fingers. I cast my gaze to the ground, to ashamed to look up.

"Alright then, you all heard her. Stark Redwing would you please step forward?"

I caught sight of my brother as he slowly made his way towards the stage. I tried to pull my gaze away. My whole body wracked with guilt. In my being picked, he was also being sent off with me. Both of us were heading to death row.

Just before Stark reached the stage, a hand was placed firmly on his shoulder, halting him. "I volunteer." An older boy's voice rang through the now hushed crowd. The boy stepped out and I glanced up for a moment to see who had just risked their own life for my brother. He was tall and lean with a good build. With short, slightly shaggy black hair, brown eyes and dark skin.

I shook my head to bring myself back to reality as Isabelle moved towards the boy, "What is your name young man?"

His face carried a solemn look as he answered, "Thorn Willow."

Isabelle's face was filled with angst as she stared at him, "Alright then but just to be sure, what is your connection to Miss. Iris over there? If you haven't one, I'm afraid you're going to have to step down and let Stark come up."

"I'm her closest friend and unless you have a way to prove me wrong I suggest you let me pass."

She looked over at me, then back at Thorn. It was as if she was studying our reactions, "Are you sure? It doesn't seem like you two are very close at all."

Thorn didn't miss a beat as he answered, "Just ask Iris. She'll tell you."

All eyes turned to me as they waited for my answer. I swallowed hard and lifted my head up; trying to be convincing, "...He's right. We're friends." I felt just as guilty saying this as I had when I told them Stark's name. Even if he stepped up voluntarily, I had just sent him to his death by saying that.

She wrinkled her nose and let out a loud sigh before stepping aside and letting Thorn onto the stage. As he passed me, he stopped and winked before moving to his spot. I was still trying to figure out what had just happened. I had almost no friends here, and I hadn't even met him until just now.

Stark dissolved back into the crowd as Isabelle moved to the fore front of the stage again. It went on for a while before we were all allowed to leave. Well, the other families anyway. Thorn and I were ushered to our separate rooms in the Justice Building. The doors were closed behind us. I stood there, silently waiting and trying not to cry. The moment I left the building, cameras would be swarming Thorn and I. And personally, I didn't want to appear as weakling to all the other districts, especially while Stark was watching. That strategy may have worked for some people, but I doubted it would for me.

No sooner had I reached a small couch in the middle of the room did the door burst open, practically thrown off its hinges. Stark was the first one in. He ran towards me, his eyes red and puffy from recent tears. This only strengthened my resolve not to cry in front of him. It would only make the parting harder. My mother followed soon after and came forward in a quick jog. She and Stark pulled me into a tight hug. It went on for what seemed like forever before their grip loosened and I could breathe again. Stark was the first to speak.

"Promise me you'll come back?" His voice hinted that he was on the brink of tears again. I was fighting them back myself.

"...I'll do everything I can to come back home. Okay?"

He smiled a bit as my answer seemed to comfort him. I smiled back, but there was no doubt in my mind that any chance I had of returning here once I left, was slim or non-existent.

My mother who was normally quiet spoke up, "If you want to live up to that promise...I suggest you start working on a strategy."

Her comment caught me off guard. I lowered my head, smiling sadly, "Ya, I probably should."

A Peace Keeper came in to tell them their time is up. They stood up and walk towards the door, not taking their eyes off of me and I did the same. It was probably the last time I would see them anyway. No one else came in, which left me just a bit depressed. Another Peace Keeper entered a bit later and ushered me out of the building towards the train station.

As we set foot on the station, I saw Thorn a bit behind us. The cameras began to swarm, getting their fill of close ups. It made me glad I hadn't cried. Yet. I caught my reflection in one of the camera lenses. I had unknowingly been smiling ever so faintly. But it was not happy in the least. It was filled with sorrow.

Thorn on the other hand still looked as defiant as he had when he volunteered for Stark. I couldn't guess why he had done it though. Or how he had gotten away with it at all. I couldn't even believe it and I was there when it happened. After all, we had never met until today so I had no connection to him. I'm pretty sure Isabelle thought the same thing but she still let it slide.

When we finally made it onto the train and away from the cameras, I flung myself onto the nearest seat. Bringing my feet up onto it and wrapping my arms around them, I buried my face in my knees. I could hear it as Thorn sat down in a seat not too far from mine, maybe about two or three down. Lifting my head slightly so I could see, I asked, "Why did you do that?"

He hesitated for a moment, "...I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? You must have had a reason for saving him."

"Well, I guess you could call it a moment of weakness. No one wanted your brother to go into these games anyway." He grinned and gave in to a short burst of laughter. I was a bit taken aback by this but hesitantly I smiled back, laughing lightly. He was right. Everyone in the District liked Stark. He was the kind of kid you just couldn't help but like, no matter what he did. And Thorn seemed nice enough. I just hoped that that same fact didn't eventually result in my death.

We sat there in silence for a while before Clara came into the car to call us for dinner. We both stood up and followed her. The table was already set with plates, utensils and such. The food was piled high on platters. All of it looked so delicious that I couldn't wait another moment and loaded up my plate. When I felt I couldn't fit anything else on it, I found a seat across from Clara and Edward. Thorn sat to my right, his own plate also full. We all began eating. Resisting the urge to shovel through my food, I ate it slowly, savouring each bite. I was right. Every bite was delicious. It was something someone from District Eleven would never have gotten a chance to eat under normal circumstances. No one spoke for a bit as we all ate. It didn't last for long as my attention was soon steered away from the food as someone called my name.

"Iris, Thorn, before we help you, is there anything we need to know about you two personally?" Edward asked.I looked up from my food and at Thorn. We locked eyes for a moment before looking back at Edward and Clara. When we didn't reply, Edward gave a loud sigh, "Alright, let's try this again." He looked at me, "Anything I need to know about you bean sprout?"

My cheeks flushed red with anger. I may not be the tallest, but I'm not short, "...Actually yes. If you call me bean sprout one more time we'll be short a mentor before we reach the Capitol."

He seemed to take note of the anger in my voice and chuckled, "Perfect, but you'd better save it for the games if you want to come out alive."

Clara placed a hand on his arm, "That's enough out of both of you." She turned to me and Thorn, "Let's save the personal details for later and go watch the re-runs of the reapings to see just what you're up against."

Thorn and I nodded before finishing up the last of our food. I stood up and left the table following Clara into another car. All of us sat in front of a large television as the reapings started to play out before us. It started with District One. They all looked well fed and quite healthy. They called a girl's name. When she walked onto the stage, I could see plain as day an incredibly cocky smile on her face. _Oh, now she's just asking for someone to kill her when these games start. Acting like that, the little bi- _I cut myself off as her brother stepped forward to take his place. He also seemed to be smiling. Neither of them allowed anyone else to volunteer for them. It moved on through the Districts until it came to Eleven.

I watched intently as my name was called again, seeing myself walk up onto the stage. I recoiled once I saw my expression. It was pure depression and shame. It then went to Isabelle asking my brother's name. You could see my lips moving but couldn't hear what I was saying until a moment after she out her hand to her ear and I began shouting. Isabelle looked slightly pleased. _Of course she would be happy. Seeing us in pain is what the Capitol likes best._ The camera zoomed in on Stark as he began walking towards the stage. Its attention was derived as Thorn's hand was placed firmly on Stark's shoulder. It went in even closer as Thorn volunteered and began arguing with Isabelle over whether or not he and I were friends. It seemed even more odd when we watched than when it actually happened but the result was still the same. Thorn was allowed to volunteer and Stark was spared, it brought me a wave of relief as well as guilt.

It moved to District Twelve which had been rebuilt not long after the second rebellion. A young girl, about Stark's age was picked. She walked up to the stage, tears building up in the corners of her eyes. No one stepped forward to take her place and her brother followed right behind her. He seemed to be a year younger, but it was the same for him. No volunteers. I felt a pang of pity for them; they shouldn't be forced to do this.

I stood up and pulled myself away from the television. I had seen more than enough. Retreating quickly to my room I climbed into bed still wearing my reaping clothes.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Finally done editing chapter three. I'm now working on editing chapters four and five so they should be out soon too. I hope you all like this one. Just so you know, I don't currently have a copy of The Hunger Games on me while I write this so the order of events, names of locations and such is all from memory and may not be perfect. Moving on, thank you for the reviews. They're all very encouraging and I really appreciate them. So now, enjoy the chapter. **

It only seemed like a minute had passed but I soon woke up to someone pounding on my door. "Come on, get up! We're almost at the Capitol." Edwards' voice sounded through the room, snatching any chance I'd had of going back to sleep.

Reluctantly, I got out of bed. Quickly scanning the room, I spotted a set of clothes neatly folded on the seat of a chair. They were simple really. Just a long sleeved shirt and pants but better than walking around in a dress all day. I stripped out of my reaping clothes and changed into them. Just as I was about to leave, I caught sight of my bracelet sitting on the dresser. I went to retrieve it and quickly slipped it back on my wrist before leaving.

Everyone was already seated and eating. I scowled, slightly disappointed that they didn't wait for me. Regardless, I went and filled my plate before sitting down myself.

"Hey bean sprout." Edward called.

I scowled again at the sound of those dreaded words, "For last time stop calling me that!" I snapped back at him.

He chuckled, "Hey, hey. Take it easy. Anyways, now that you're here, we can start."

"Start what?"

"I'll tell you what. You listen to and obey everything I say, and I'll help you get to the final ten. How's that sound?" He smirked as he spoke, as if expecting some sort of smart remark.

"...It sounds like something you're supposed to be doing anyway. Isn't it a mentor's job to help the tributes?"

I could hear muffled laughter from Edward. He seemed to be really enjoying himself. "Whatever, let's get on with this. Clara and I have decided that we will train you and Thorn separately. Thorn will be with Clara, and Iris," He paused and looked directly at me, "You will be with me."

I groaned; my displeasure evident. Edward seemed to notice this and merely chuckled. Now that I thought about it, he was really starting to piss me off. "Fine, let's just get this over with." I muttered.

He chuckled again just as the train car suddenly grew dark. We had entered the tunnel that lead directly into the Capitol. When the light returned, I headed for the window out of curiosity. My first glimpse of the Capitol; it was as extraordinary as people had said, but not in the best of ways. The citizens were all dressed up in such ridiculous outfits with the strangest hair colours and styles possible. Most of them obviously had had too much work done to their faces too. Once they spotted the train, the flocked towards us, eager to see the children they would soon watch die. I pulled back from the window, slightly frightened. I guess it showed on my face as some of the people stopped and pointed at me, laughing all the while. It made me feel sick. Luckily, they were soon out of sight and we pulled into the train station.

The moment we got off the train, the cameras surrounded us like a swarm of angry bees. I felt disgusted with all of this. I just wanted to get away from it, but I knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Everyone here would be glued to their television sets, watching me and the other tributes as most of us drew our final breath. Thorn and Clara stepped off the train after Edward and I. We pushed our way through the crowd, but it seemed to go on forever. Either more people were joining it or all the ones we passed had already gotten back in front of us. I'm thinking it was both. In the chaos of the moment we were all getting shoved around; everyone eager to get a look at us . I staggered and fell back. That is, until someone caught me.

I looked up to see Thorn holding me up. I felt my face turn a bright red and the fact that we were surrounded by cameras wasn't making it any better. It was even worse that my pale skin made it so much more noticeable. He helped me back to a standing position. My face was still red and I could hear some of the people in the crowd shouting amongst themselves; sharing their thoughts on this misunderstanding.

"Oh my. We have more star-crossed lovers."

"It's the seventy-fourth all over again."

My face was burning now. This was so embarrassing. To be compared to the star-crossed lovers of District Twelve. That was seventy six years ago. They had died of old age recently anyway. Their own kids entered in different years for the games. One had been lucky enough to live and had had kids of their own with someone else.

I suddenly felt a someone holding a tight grip on my arm and spun around to see Thorn who now started to pull me through the crowd. He was keeping me close so I was never more than a few inches from him. I could still hear the murmurs behind us, mumbling about the _new star-crossed lovers_. _These Capitol people don't understand anything! _When we finally broke through the crowd we made a break for it, not too eager to get caught back up in the chaos. Edward and Clara followed swiftly after. Edward moved surprisingly fast for an old guy.

They ushered us on, stopping only when we reached our new place of residence until the games. It made me feel sick just by looking at it. Everything in the Capitol seemed to be having that effect. We went inside and headed straight for the elevator. We pressed the button with the number eleven on it and it shot upwards. The actual ride only took a few seconds but it was enough to let the surprise set in. The elevator I had always taken in the Justice Building in District Eleven took far longer than this just to go up a single floor. We reached ours only a moment later; temporarily safe from the cameras. Edward directed me to my room and Clara directed Thorn to his. Once I was in my room, Edward quickly backed out of the door, closing and locking it before I had even realized what he was doing.

I pounded on the door telling him to unlock it and let me out. Eventually I gave up and slumped down against it. From the other side I could hear him and Clara talking in hushed tones. The walls and door unfortunately muffled everything to the point where not even a single word was recognizable. I gave up on trying deciphering their conversation not long after and just walked over to my bed. Allowing myself to fall onto it, I landed with a soft thump. Everything started to become hazy and my eyes felt heavy all of a sudden. Before I even knew it, I had drifted off into a deep sleep. My short day had been far more tiring than I realized.

I opened my eyes groggily to the sound of a lock clicking as it opened. Jarring myself from my half-asleep state, I got out of bed and silently rushed towards the door; almost throwing it off its hinges trying to get out before it was locked again. Looking out to the right I could see Edward walking off like nothing had even happened. I resisted the urge to chase after him and attack. He was really pissing me off now. _Mentor my ass! He hasn't helped me at all yet._ My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden growling noise. It took me a moment to realize it was my stomach. Sighing, I left the room and headed down the hall to get breakfast.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the room were our two Avox servants. One of them looked familiar. I couldn't place the face but I decided against mentioning it. I had heard of them back home. Traitors that had had their tongues cut out so they could never speak again. The slightest sign of familiarity with them would result in their severe punishment. My conscience had already been loaded down with enough guilt. I didn't need any more. I went and served myself as I waited for everyone else to arrive. Edward entered a couple minutes later and sat down across the table from me. He was smirking; no doubt about how he managed to lock me in my room all day yesteday _and_ all of last night.

"You'll be meeting your stylist later today." He said, "I expect you to do everything they say." I scowled at him but gave no verbal reply. I already knew to listen to the stylists. I was just hoping I got a good one instead of one of the freak shows. If I got lucky-which I probably wouldn't, yet again-I might get one with a slight hint of originality. Thorn and Clara entered the room and helped themselves to the food. When they sat down Edward repeated himself, "You two will be meeting your stylists today and I expect you both to do whatever they say."

I sighed in response. Having just heard the same thing twice, I think he got that I understood because he didn't stress it any further.

Once we finished breakfast we were ushered to our rooms. The moment I set foot in mine I was surrounded by a small group of peppy people. A boy and two girls, all sporting the _latest Capitol fashion_. The boy was apparently called Lance. He was tall and skinny with light blue hair all sticking straight up. The first girl was Venia. She was a bit plumper with short, curly pink hair that went down to her shoulders. The second girl appeared the most normal with straight blonde hair going about halfway down her back and a nice figure to boot. Claudia was apparently what she was called. _Yep, I got a freak show. Quite a talkative one too._

"Alright, take off your clothes." Lance said.

"What?" I asked, not sure if I'd heard him right.

"I said take off your clothes."

Begrudgingly and hesitantly, I removed my clothing until I stood naked in front of them. I felt my face begin to turn red as they circled around me. This was definetely not something I was used too!

"This will only hurt a bit." Venia said as she and the others walked over to a table and grabbed a few things.

"What will hur- Ow!" A bit was an understatement. I flinched each time as they quickly began removing all my body hair. They made idle chatter with one another as they worked. Everything they were talking about-whatever it was- was completely irrelevant to the matter at hand.

When they were finally done, the pain from all the plucking still lingered. They added a touch of make-up to my face before they were ushered from the room by another man I assumed was my stylist.

"Hello there little Miss. I'm your stylist, Axel; pleased to make your aquaintance." He crossed the room in three long strides and I managed to get a good look at him. He was tall like Thorn but his hair, though still black, was a bit longer and curly. He seemed fairly muscular with nice features and wore rather normal clothes. Well, normal to me anyway. He wore just a touch of eye-liner and blush as well as a few other things I couldn't name for the life of me. I'd say he was the most normal person I'd met since getting here. Not counting Thorn or the mentors.

He circled me just like the prep team had done. Once he was satisfied, he handed me a robe, "Put this on." I gratefully took it and threw it on, eager to have something covering me again even if it wouldn't be for long. Axel examined me for a moment longer before he walked over to the closet and pulled something out. It was covered so I couldn't see what it was, but I guessed it was my outfit for later tonight. He stood and glanced at it, continuously switching his attention from whatever he was holding, to me.

"Take off the robe and close your eyes." He said. I obeyed. I could hear him cross the room and pull the outfit out of its cover. Slowly, I felt something slip past my over my head and land on my shoulders, the bottom hitting my legs a bit below the knees. He started to adjust it to fit me properly and when he finally finished with that he started on my hair. He undid the bandaged part and let all my hair fall down against my back. I could feel him fiddle with it before he actually seemed to set to work.

"Ok, now, open!" Axel said. I opened my eyes in time to catch the last second of his weird, fluttery hand gestures. I turned around to a mirror and my jaw dropped to the ground. The dress was beautiful. The design was intricate, yet simple. It resembled the orchards back home, as if you were deep in the trees. Each time I moved, it looked like the wind was blowing through them, rustling the branches and leaves. The illusion it created was brilliant. My hair was just as good. It had been curled like during the reaping only this time a bit differently. It was all curled but each one was light and wispy; no ringlets. I looked as if I could blow away at any moment.

"I love it!" I cried as I turned back around and threw my arms around him.

"Well I'm glad you do." Axel chuckled lightly.

I released Axel from the hug and let my arms drop back to my sides. I was practically glowing with happiness. He had taken the outcast of District Eleven and turned her into something beautiful. It was not something I was used to. We stayed in the room for a long while after as he fixed my make-up and hair. Adding things he said he'd forgotten. Edward came in later to remind us it was almost time for the chariot ride with the rest of the tributes.

When I reached District Eleven's chariot with Axel and Edward, I finally got to see Thorn's outfit as he came into view. He was wearing a usual farmer's outfit with a basket strapped to his back as if he were about to begin gathering a harvest. Surprisingly, he looked quite handsome in it. I felt myself blush a little and quickly diverted my attention. Once my face returned to normal, I walked towards him, smiling happily. He noticed and smiled back. When I finally reached him I complimented his costume and he returned it with one of his own. I started to blush again but I didn't look away this time and just prayed it wasn't too noticeable.

We chatted for a few minutes, quickly shooting glances at some of the other tributes. I saw the boy and girl from District One, those smug little grins as plain as day on their faces. It really pissed me off. To be honest, I almost couldn't wait to get into the arena so I couldn't be punished if I attacked them. They're costumes weren't all that special though. The usual sparkly outfit; not very eye-catching anymore, especially after the girl on fire seventy-six years ago. There hadn't been a single tribute since then who'd even been able to match her.

I scanned the rest of the tributes. Some of them had pretty good costumes. I guess their stylists decided to get a bit more creative this year. The tributes from District seven were the same as always though. They were trees, nothing more, nothing less. My eyes drifted to the two children from District Twelve in their coal miner outfits. Not appealing at all, especially not on the girl. Since the _untimely_ death of their stylists Cinna and Portia, their costumes had remained bland. I couldn't help but stare at them though, still feeling pity that they had been chosen.

I felt Thorn tap me on the shoulder and spun around to meet his gaze. He helped me into the chariot just before it started moving. I clung to his arm, not quite used to my heels yet. I was afraid if I let go I would fall and embarrass myself. We rounded the corner and were engulfed in the noise of the crowd. I could hear all sorts of things as people shouted. Some of them were calling out names of the tributes, some gossiping. It fell silent for a moment when we came into view but the noise soon resumed. A few comments caught my attention as we passed by, "Oh look! It's the new star crossed lovers."

I felt my face begin to burn red again. Why couldn't people believe that it had been a misunderstanding? Honestly, the Capitol would assume just about anything over such a small matter. I only fell and Thorn caught me. There was nothing more to it.

I swallowed hard and brought myself back to reality. I forced a smile and looked at the crowd; waving. They ate it up. I heard a large number of them call both our names. Others who I assumed were trying to catch someone else's attention were falling over one another. It made me giggle and that made the rest of them go ecstatic. I turned back to Thorn to see how he was doing. He stood there, holding my arm the same way I was holding his and smiled lightly at the crowd, waving every now and then when someone caught his eye. It didn't seem like much but the crowd loved it coming from him.

We went around once more before it finally finished and we were allowed to return to our temporary residence. I went to my room, skipping dinner and collapsed on the bed exhausted. I wasn't all that hungry anyways.

Everything was hazy as I began to drift off. The last thing I remember before I dozed off was thinking about the training I'd now have to endure in the last few days I had left. Tick tock, tick tock. The clock continued to count down.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: The editing for this chapter took longer than expected so I'm sorry it wasn't up sooner. Interviews are a pain to write. So, yeah, changed the genre to tragedy. Reason being that while I was writing the rough drafts to the next few chapters, it was playing out differently than I had first assumed it would and the romance thing just wasn't working. But anyways, I hope you all enjoy it. **

My eyes cracked open to the sound of someone pounding on the door relentlessly. "Come on, come on, come on! Breakfast's ready." Isabelle called through the door.

_Why does she always sound so annoyed?_ I got up and crossed the room to a dresser to change into some clean clothes before I left the the room and headed out to eat. We were supposed to be discussing strategy for the next few days of training as well as what we would do at our interviews afterwards. _Oh I just can't wait to see what Edward has in store for me!_ I thought sourly as I turned the corner only to bump into Thorn. I staggered for a moment, trying to regain my balance before starting to fall back. Thorn grabbed my wrist and I stopped mid-fall. "Thanks." I said, embarrassment slipping into my voice.

"Is this how it's always going to turn out? You falling and me catching you?" He asked, grinning widely.

"Hey, that was only once." I retorted.

"Actually it's two times now." He helped me back to a standing position.

"Ya, ya, are you coming to breakfast?"

"I was actually going to see if you were still coming. You took a long time and we didn't want to start without you." I could hear him trying poorly to hold back a laugh as he gestured into the other room.

"Oh, did I really take that long?" I waited for a moment before adding, "Don't answer that." I walked past him and into the other room. Grabbing a plate and filling it with food before sitting down. Thorn re-entered and filled his own plate, taking a seat next to me.

"Alright bean sprout. Now that you're finally here we can talk strategy." I shot him a death glare but listened anyways. "I have already reviewed it with Clara and we will be going over the strategies with you two together."

I agreed and began eating, going through the food slowly. My stomach still wasn't quite used to such high quality food. The conversation went on for a while as we all went over a basic strategy. What to do at the training center. Things we should learn, what to steer clear of, how to act. All the usual stuff.

Isabelle herded us to the training center once we were finished eating. The look on her face suggested she was eager to be rid of us. If I thought I couldn't stand her before I was reaped, I knew it for sure now.

When we got to the training center, Thorn and I constantly rotated stations. We went from edible plants to traps and snares to camouflage and a few of the weapon stations. It was clear from the moment I picked most of them up that I wouldn't stand a chance in the games if I used them. I preferred my knives by far. They were light-weight and much easier to use. I was okay with a spear though. I couldn't throw it as far as some of the other tributes nor was I as accurate, but I was still better with it than the other weapons. Thorn tried out most of the melee weapons, ranging from swords to axes. He used a lot of them quite well and only seemed to be having a small degree of difficulty. I definitely wouldn't want to be on his bad side.

It went on like this for the next few days where we learned all we could and sometimes showed off our own skills. But it all ended when along came the dreaded private sessions. I had very little idea of what I would show them that they would actually be interested in. Besides, by the time they got to me, they would be bored stiff. It would be even worse for the District Twelve tributes. The room continued to empty out as one by one everyone left for their session. Eventually it was only me and District Twelve. I sat there silently watching the clock. It had already been a half hour and I was getting aggravated. I waited a few more minutes until the man finally came to call me in.

I was right. The game-makers were bored to the extreme. One even looked like he was asleep. Sighing, I made my way over to the knife section and picked and sharp, balanced one. I flicked my wrist and sent it flying a bit above the game-maker's heads to get their attention. I was a bit disappointed when it just bounced off something. _A force field? What the heck did someone do to make them put that up? _It worked though and they actually paid _some_ attention. Smirking, I grabbed a few more knives and faced the targets they'd set out. Moving targets would have been preferable but I would have to make do with these. Taking three knives in each hand I flicked my wrists again and sent them flying towards the targets. The majority of them hit their target but a couple had missed. I wasn't perfect after all. I did the same thing for a couple more minutes, hitting a variety of what would be vital spots on a living being before forcing a smile and turning back to face the Game-makers to let them know I was done.

"You may go now Miss. Redwing." I smiled politely and left, pleased with what I'd done. I returned to our floor and met up with Thorn. He seemed happy as well_._ Isabelle called us into the other room later so we could see our scores. As we planted ourselves in front of the television, we tried to guess what the other would get.

The pictures of the other tributes started to appear. The boy and girl from District One got an eight and nine. It continued, with the lowest score so far being a three from District Five and the highest being a twelve from District Seven. When it finally got to us, our eyes were glued to the screen. Thorn appeared and his score flashed below. He had managed to score an eleven! Everyone gave him a congratulatory pat on the back, and then I appeared on screen. I waited intently for my score to show up. It startled me when it finally flashed on. A seven. I'd been hoping for better but at least I wasn't the worst. It was average and didn't really stand out; something I'd had always tried and failed to do back in District Eleven. I was however, a bit frightened for Thorn. He'd now be one of the Career's main targets.

We all went to our separate rooms for some sleep after the scores were finished. The kids from Twelve had done pretty well. Both had gotten an eight. I was impressed, considering how bored the game makers had been when I entered. Sleep came easily that night. I was out like a light before my head had even hit the pillow.

I went to meet Axel the next morning after breakfast to be shown my interview outfit. It was just as beautiful as my dress from the chariot ride. It was a gorgeous light green colour with small floral designs all along the hem. Simple yet I still loved it and Axel knew it. He worked on my hair and make-up until it was time for us to leave. Struggling a bit in my heels, I ran to catch up with everyone. "Good Luck!" I heard Axel call behind me. I didn't stop running but turned and smiled to thank him.

Caesar Flickerman, the usual announcer had died a few years back and been replaced by another man a lot like him. He acted almost exactly the same. I'm pretty sure his name was Strerr. It was quite the unusual name. He was Caesar's spitting image, sporting the same outfit and hairstyle, dyed bright green this year. It was actually a bit creepy. But at least he tried to make all the tributes feel comfortable like Caesar had done. He went through all the Districts. The girl from District One, Shimmer_,_ was playing an obvious angle. Arrogance was all she had going for her. Her brother Glint played the strong, silent type but always had that creepy smile hanging right on the edge of his mouth. I really began to wonder where the people from District One came up with such ridiculous names. The time flew by as he went through each of the tributes. The girl from District Seven, Amari, caught my attention. It was no surprise though given her immense size. _Mental note: Stay away from her. Stay far far away! _The only thing I could think of to describe her was that she looked like an angry bear poised to attack. I would have liked to know how she got that twelve but then again, I wasn't so sure I wanted to know what method she would use to kill me.

It continued on until I was called up. Edward and I had planned on me winging it. Any angle we had tried either didn't suit me or I didn't feel the least bit comfortable acting them out, but now it was becoming nerve-wracking. I walked up to Strerr and shook his hand.

"So Iris, you're from District Eleven? Tell me, how did you feel when you're name was called?"

I hesitated. I wasn't one for public speaking, "...Well, I was terrified when I actually realized it was me that had been called but it wasn't myself I was scared for, it was my brother Stark."

"Ah yes, that's very interesting. Would you mind talking about him?"

"No, I don't mind. Stark was one of the few family members I had so he was a very important person to me. I would have fallen apart if he'd had to come with me."

"Yes, and then the most unexpected thing happened! You're dear friend Thorn over there volunteered and took Stark's place. How did that make you feel?"

I glanced down for a moment, "...That's a bit difficult to answer. I was relieved when Stark was spared but when I saw that it was Thorn, well, it was just as frightening. I didn't want to lose him too." I could hear the crowd talking amongst themselves about this. They were eating it up. It was becoming a near perfect scenario.

"Yes, that makes perfect sense. No one would want to lose their closest friend. So let's move on to a happier subject shall we? What do you think will be your biggest advantage during the games?"

I brought my eyes up from the floor to look at him and grinned, "Simple, you can't catch what you can't see."

Strerr laughed whole heartily, "That's a very good thing Iris. I'm sure there are many here with high hopes for you and Thorn. I wish you the best of luck."

I chuckled just as the buzzer went off to signal my time was up.

"Well there you have it folks, Iris Redwing from District Eleven." He gestured towards my seat and I went to sit down, "Now, let's welcome her good friend, Thorn Willow!" The crowd cheered wildly as Thorn stood as walked towards Strerr. He shook his hand before they started, "Now Thorn, let me ask, what was going through your mind when you volunteered for Stark?"

Thorn looked a bit surprised at the question, "I'm not really sure. Looking back on it now I guess I could say fear, sympathy and pain."

"Oh and why was that?"

"...No one in our District wanted Stark to have to compete in these games. It was still far too soon for him to experience something like this. I also didn't want Iris to have to go through that. The thought that either she or someone else might have to kill him could have pushed her over the edge."

Strerr nodded slowly. The look on his face suggested he was feeling a bit of sympathy for us as well, "That's highly understandable. I can see why you would have stepped up for young Stark." He paused for a moment and cleared his throat, "What do you say we move onto a happier topic?" Thorn nodded, "Alright, so Thorn, I've heard a lot of rumours going around about you and Iris. Would you mind elaborating on them for us?"

Thorn looked quite confused by this sudden turn of events, "What rumours would you mean?"

Strerr laughed, "There's only one possibility my friend. Everyone in the Capitol is talking about you two. It seems you're closer than you say." He nudged Thorn's arm with his elbow.

Thorn seemed a bit taken aback by this. He scratched his head and looked away from the camera for a moment before answering, "...It's nothing like that. Iris and I are just friends."

Strerr seemed just slightly disappointed, "Oh, well that's quite different from what I've heard. Do you mind explaining? I'm sure we'd all be glad to set this story straight." He held his hand out to the audience. Most of them just sat there confused. Obviously they'd heard a different story. _Capitol idiots. They'd believe even the most pathetic of rumours. _

Thorn was silent for a moment, "...Back in District Eleven, Iris and I were close friends. You all already knew that at the reapings. Since then, it's become a bit different." He paused, waiting to see the audience's reaction. I was speechless. _What is he talking about? _"She's more like a little sister to me. And like any elder brother, I will protect her without hesitation. These games won't change that." I was rigid in my seat. I hadn't expected him to say that but it worked. The audience was buying into it. I let out a silent sigh of relief. At least now they'd stop comparing us to _them._ The buzzer went to end his time on stage. He returned to his place beside me, smiling happily.

The girl from Twelve, Alyssa stepped up on stage and began her interview. I wasn't really listening but one part in particular seemed to catch everyone's attention as all the tribute's heads snapped around and stared. "Now, Alyssa, we all know that you are the great granddaughter of Katniss Everdeen, the winner of the seventy-fourth Hunger Games, as well as the daughter of the winner of the hundred and twenty third games ..."

Those kids were from a family of winners.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. Finally done Chapter Five and we're now moving into the games. Hope you all like it. I am having a lot of fun writing this.**

The interviews ended after the victor's children Alyssa and her brother Flint finished. We were all escorted back to the elevators and told to go to our floors. I managed to get an elevator with Thorn but several other people poured in preventing me from saying anything. It shot upwards, stopping every couple seconds or so to let the other people off. It emptied out quickly but our floor was the next stop so I didn't bother to begin a conversation.

The elevator doors opened up and Thorn and I stepped out. I walked down the hallway and into the first room I came to, letting myself fall back onto a large armchair. "You were quite convincing during the interviews." I called to him as he entered the room. He glanced over and chuckled before sitting down on the couch.

"Was I? I wasn't trying to be. What I said was the truth."

That confused me, "How? I never even knew you before the reaping."

"Correction, you didn't know me, but I knew you."

"That's just a bit creepy."

He laughed, "Maybe, but can you blame me? You stuck out like a sore thumb. Just about everyone knew who you were."

I sighed, "That still doesn't answer my question. How is it that you just happened to think of me like your sister, let alone one that you would _protect without hesitation_? You're not that much older than me anyways."

"Two years can make a big difference." He chuckled, "But you always just seemed to strike me as that sort of person. The little sister type that needs to be protected."

"Alright then, when did it start? Just how long have you thought of me as a little sister?"

He paused for a moment, as if unsure whether or not he should tell me, "Well, if you really want to know, I guess I could say it started when the peacekeepers shot your father."

I was a bit taken aback. The subject of my father hadn't been brought up in almost ten years, not even by my own family. Memories long forgotten flowed into my mind. Stark was too young then to remember. It was better that way. I recalled my mother's scream of horror, the blood, the fear and the smirks on the peacekeeper's faces once their job was finished. But the most memorable and the one I wanted most to forget was sitting at the forefront of my mind. Watching the life drain from my father's eyes as the bullet was put through his head. He was dead before he even hit the ground.

The thoughts were pushed from my mind when I felt something drip down my hand and looked down only to realize I'd been digging my nails into my hand to the point where they bled. Thorn's expression was solemn as he continued, "It was about that time that I actually noticed you. You always looked so fragile and scared after that. I just felt like I should do something to help. In that state I didn't think you'd survive the games if you were ever picked, so I decided I'd volunteer in the event that it ever happened. Maybe raise your chances of getting back home. A Quarter Quell wouldn't change my decision but this year's twist made it much harder to pull off. It only worked because you went along with it."

I was shocked. To be told something like this all of a sudden, "...So, let me get this straight." My voice was scratchy and the words difficult to find, "You first noticed me when my father was killed...you wanted to protect me because I looked helpless...and you thought I would never survive the games in that state of mind. So you decided to volunteer for the boy tribute...in the event that I was ever reaped. Am I correct in saying all this?"

He waited a moment, thinking through it all, "I'd say that's a pretty good summary."

I was silent for a while, sitting motionlessly in my chair. There was a bit of an awkward silence before I spoke, "...I'm going to take a nap." I slowly stood from the chair and walked to my room; feeling his eyes staring at my back as I left. I closed the door silently behind me and curled up on the bed.

For the first time in years, I thought of my father. I had only been about five or six when he died so I couldn't remember much about him but it was more than enough to keep the pain fresh. It only reminded me of how much I despised the Capitol. I cast my eyes down to the bracelet on sitting idly on my wrist. Unknowingly, I started tracing the painted flames with my finger; recalling the words he'd spoken when he first gave it to me. He'd always told me that my grandfather had hand carved and painted it, giving it to my grandmother as a gift. She passed down to my father later on and he'd given it to me only days before that bullet tore him from our lives. Since then, I'd always kept it in that box with everything else he'd left for us, never daring to take it out. Afraid that if I did, I would lose it and one of the few links I still held to him.

I stayed in my room for the next few days, coming out only for meals and strategy sessions with Edward. It remained that way until the last night before the Games. Regardless of how hard I tried, sleep refused to come. I was becoming irritated at this point which only made trying to sleep harder. Countless thoughts of just how I would die tomorrow were racing through my head. Hauling myself off the bed, I walked slowly out of the room; in desperate need of fresh air to clear my head. The elevator arrived and the doors opened with their small metallic _clink._ I headed for the roof, it being the closest exit out of the building. As I stepped out onto the concrete platform, I looked around. No one else was here right now and I found that comforting at the moment. Walking slowly over to the railing that _prevented_ us from falling off, I leaned against it, my back to the ground below. Staring up at the starless sky above me I wondered how the people here could stand it. To see only a pure black sky with no stars to break the monotone was just, well, weird. There was nothing, not even one star, to stand out amongst the darkness above my head.

The constant noise from the ground below was starting to annoy me. I turned around and looked over the edge. The people below all looked like ants with the way they were scurrying around frantically. They were the same people who, starting tomorrow would be watching us all die. We were all being sent into the arena at noon because they were too lazy to get up in time to see the sun rise. I could almost guess most of them had never even seen it before in their lives. Meanwhile I'd taken it for granted all the years I wasn't yet eligible for these games and watched it as though it was the last time I'd ever see it from the moment I turned twelve. Now, I wanted nothing more than to see it once more from the comfort of my own home back in District Eleven. Seeing it in the arena would bring me no comfort; only the feeling of dread as what little time I had left passed me by.

I stood there idly, listening to the roar of cars roaming the streets, watching the city lights flash all around and staring down at the ground below with a zoned-out look of disdain for I don't know how long before a cold gust of wind brought me back my senses. It was about time I went back inside anyways. That is, if I wanted to get any sleep before I was sent off to be killed. Coming down from the roof, I stepped back onto the elevator to go back to my floor. I had to sneak back to my room quickly though. If Edward were to wake up and see me still awake he'd have my head served to him on a silver platter. Once back in my room I crashed onto the bed; staring emotionlessly at the ceiling.

I guess I fell asleep because I woke up to Isabelle rapping on my door telling me to get out of bed. "I'm up! I'm up!" The pounding ceased and I could hear fading footsteps as she left. I yawned loudly before actually getting out of the bed; quickly getting ready for the day that may just be my last. Strangely, it didn't feel like it. I didn't feel any anxiety or anything. It just felt like another normal day. I only wish it was. Once I finished up, my feet carried me out of the room to breakfast. Thorn, Clara and Edward had already taken their seats. Edward's gaze said he expected to be listened to, not that I had any problem with that. Though I didn't know how, he'd come out of these games alive, maybe now he could help either me or Thorn do that.

I had only just filled my plate and sat down when he began, "Look bean sprout, I expect you to listen to everything I'm about to say. You're going into the arena later, and if you want to make it through the first hour pay attention." Edward spoke in a serious tone so I knew to actually take what he said to mind. "Stay with Thorn at all times possible and protect each other unless you absolutely can't! No complaining either. When the gong goes, get off your plate and grab from the Cornucopia whatever is closest to you reagardless of what it is. No running into the thick of it just to grab something or you'll end up dead. Don't get involved in the fighting! Once you've got something... anything, get the hell out of there, find food, water and stay alive."

I paid careful attention to his words as I ate. They sounded reasonable enough. Stay with Thorn, grab whatever's close, run like hell and stay alive. I had actually planned to do the last three regardless of what he said, though the part about staying with Thorn would inevitably prove fatal later into the games if we even made it that far. There could only be one victor after all.

The moment I swallowed the last bite of my food, Edward had me out of my chair and rushed down the hall to get ready. He shoved me through a doorway and I was immediately surrounded by Axel and my prep team. They quickly plucked a single outfit from a rack as well as a pair of dark brown boots and shoved them in my arms, "Now, go get changed." Venia and Claudia made little shooing motions while Lance lead me to the change room.

It was only when I actually had them on that I realized what this year's tribute clothes were: a white shirt with a red and black fleece jacket and dark blue pants. It was really quite comfortable, a big change from my usual clothes back home. They did my hair up the way I usually did it. Most of it down and the two strands pulled back, wrapped in bandages. I looked much more like myself than I ever had since entering the Capitol. That much I liked. The fact that it meant I was about to be sent to my death, not so much.

My prep team left and Axel guided me to the roof where all the helicopters were. Well, the remaining ones anyway. Some of the tributes had already left. I walked towards the one with the number eleven on it and grabbed the ladder. I was frozen to the rung I'd grabbed as the ladder was hauled up. Once inside, a woman knelt down next to me with a needle in her right hand, "This will only hurt a bit." Her voice was calm and soothing as she injected the tracker into my arm. Now they would always know where I was in the arena. _Perfect._ I thought sarcastically. Thorn was already here so we'd be leaving momentarily. "We'll be reaching the Launch room in a bit under an hour." The woman's voice echoed through the body of the helicopter in the same calm tone.

I took a seat, resting my head against the wall; staring blankly at the ceiling. My mind drifted off as I thought of Stark. The chances were high I'd be dead soon eliminating any possibility of him being forever safe from the games. But he still had the slight chance to evade them until he was no longer eligible. He was always a lucky kid. It was my own bad luck that almost had him experience all of this as well. But of course, the fates had favoured him. Though I supposed I could count it as a blessing for myself as well. At least this way, even if I died, he wouldn't have to just yet. The thought brought a smile to my face. Stark would still live. That much put me at ease. The only way to guarantee that though, was for me to win these games. That meant Thorn would have to die.

It was that thought that brought on a wave of guilt. Far larger than any others I'd had since I was reaped. The only reason he was even here was because of me. If I came out of this alive, then my going along with us being friends back then would have ultimately been the reason for his death. I don't think I could ever live with that kind of guilt eating away at me every day. Tearing me apart from the inside. I wouldn't even be able to face everyone back home. Thorn had a family waiting for him too. One that needed him. I was jolted back to reality when the helicopter landed. I'd been out of it for longer than I'd realized.

I met back up with Axel and he showed me to the Launch room. It was larger than my entire house back in District Eleven. The only one to use it though, would be me. Once my own life ended, one person came out alive and the games were finished, this entire area would just be one of many other tourist attractions that would become entirely deserted the moment a new one arose. I found it all disgusting. The way they wasted everything, including the land for their arenas which -just like the ones unlucky enough to set foot on them- saw only a short life covered in the blood of others.

Axel showed me to the plate that would carry me up into the actual arena. I was hesitant to approach it. The moment I stepped on it, the tube would come down, locking me away until it surfaced. There wasn't long before I had to though. I spent the rest of my time talking with Axel, enjoying one last moment of peace before my living to see the sun rise tomorrow was no longer a guarantee. Not that it ever was in the first place.

The time finally came that I had to get on the plate. Before I stepped on it, I felt his hand on my shoulder. As I turned around I could hear him say, "Be careful in there Iris."

I smiled, glad that he cared enough to say it, "Thanks, I will."

"Good luck. I'll be rooting for you, don't forget that. Make the Capitol remember the name of the Blood Red Iris."

"...Huh?" I honestly hadn't the slightest idea what he was talking about. It was only when he gestured to the blood coloured streaks in my hair that it actually clicked. _When did I get nickname? Especially one like that?_ I couldn't complain though. If they were actually bothering to give me a nickname - regardless of how little I wanted such a thing - then I'd probably have at least a few sponsors. "I don't think I'll stick in their memory unless I do something _really_ stupid in there." I told him. Axel only laughed in response. I smiled and gave him one last hug before stepping onto the plate and letting the tube come down around me.

I felt it as it began moving upwards. _This is it. _My thoughts were becoming a tangled mess. We were all at the mercy of the Game-makers now. When I emerged and the tube was gone, I had to shield my eyes from the blinding light of the sun. There was a small stream, about waist height at the middle to my left and dense woodland all around as far as I could see. The woods were dark and brooding despite the sun's rays. Nothing seemed to pierce through its branches. I didn't even want to think of what might be waiting for me once I entered. There were a few mountains in the distance, the tops of which appeared to be covered in snow. As my eyes adjusted to the sudden change of light, I could see that a large number of the nearby trees bared fruit. For some reason this made me feel uneasy. The thought of the Game-makers just leaving food out in the open for us was unheard of. I didn't have time to worry about that right now though. Our sixty seconds had already begun.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Agh, another wait, I'm sorry. Writer's block sucks.**

The Cornucopia; it gave off a faint golden sheen in the bright sunlight. Spread along its base, the surrounding area and even inside it, were all the items we, the tributes would be permitted to grab the moment the gong went off. The better items closer to the Cornucopia itself, the less important ones spread out along the ground closer to all our feet. As far as I could tell, we were all an equal distance of about forty yards from it. I didn't want to run in and risk dying right at the beginning, but if I wanted to live through the first day, I'd need something. _Fight or flight?_ I recalled Edward's words just before we left. _Grab what I can, but no fighting. _In this case, it was very good advice though easier said than done. I peered around searching for something I might be able to use. My salvation was quickly found; a pack of knives only about twenty to twenty-five yards from where I stood. If I went full out once the gong sounded I might be able to reach them though getting back out would be much more difficult. I looked around for Thorn. When I spotted him on a plate too my far right, his gaze was already set solely on something else. Obviously he really wanted whatever he was looking at.

The gong went off. The sound rang through the area. There was no way to miss it. I shot towards the Cornucopia, all the while having to shield my eyes from the sun. From the corner of my eye I could see some of the other tributes right behind or even beside me while others fled for their lives. I dove for the knife pack, grabbed it in a crouched position and searched frantically for Thorn. Losing sight of him here could result in a bloody death. One sweep of the area around me was all I needed to tell me it was time to get the hell out of there. The remaining tributes that hadn't already run off were gathering in groups of two with their brother, sister or whoever it was that had come with them. _Definitely time to run._ I spotted Thorn just as he disappeared around the Cornucopia. Pushing myself out of my crouched position I bolted in his direction. From behind, I could hear something whistling through the air towards me.

I didn't stop running but turned around to see what it was. I had only turned about halfway when I felt something brush the right side of my face. The feel of cold metal, the pain of it tearing through my skin and a wet rush of warmth running down my face all came within a second of each other. It caught me off balance and I fell to the ground, gripping the side of my face only to have my hand come away bloody. My fall had left me facing my attacker. _Oh crap. Not her._ Amari from Seven was running towards me, two spears in one hand and an axe in the other with a look of pain and anger in her eyes. Her brother already lay dead on the ground behind her along with another body; a bloody hole in his back. I was terrified. In a panic, I began to turn away, scrambling off the ground and towards Thorn again.

The spear she'd thrown had lodged itself in the ground a few feet in front of me. I grabbed it as I passed, not to eager to stop. I heard another spear flying through the air. I panicked and stumbled over something, the spear sheering over my left shoulder. It ripped through the jacket, leaving a long gash in its wake. I yelped in pain while I fell back to the ground. Groaning, I gripped my shoulder, trying to staunch the blood as it poured down my arm. I could hear the fighting as the blood bath commenced and people began dropping like flies. Lying here would only bring me certain death. Pushing myself back up, I kept running. I could hear Amari behind me and Thorn was only a few yards away now.

When I finally reached him, he was holding a small pack of supplies. I began tugging on his sleeve; trying to pull him towards the woods. Frightening or not, I'd rather be in there than be massacred right from the start.

Thorn looked up and I guess he saw her running towards us because he spun around, grabbing my arm and made a break for the trees, dragging me with him. We ran into the darkness of the woods, wanting to leave the sounds of the fighting and Amari, behind us. Even though only a minute ago I'd been nearly blinded by the sunlight, I could hardly see five feet in front of my face within these woods.

I was dragged along behind him even after I felt I couldn't run any further. We kept going, breaking past the low branches of surrounding trees. I felt some scratch my face. Felt them break through my jacket to reach my bare arms. Felt the blood flow freely from the gash and drip down my arm. The surrender in my legs as they tried to collapse beneath me was growing quickly now as the adrenaline began to wear off.

The sounds of the fighting had long since ceased when Thorn finally stopped. He slumped against the base of a tree and I fell to my knees, exhausted. "Why...did she...attack us...of all people?" I panted, speaking to no one in particular. I still gripped my shoulder. The flow of blood was slowing but refused to stop altogether, keeping the pain fresh and agonizing.

"...I don't know...maybe you looked like an easy target? Either way I think we lost her for now." Thorn sounded just as tired. I exhaled deeply before moving to a more comfortable sitting position leaning against a large rock; wiping the blood from my face as it spilled from the wound on my face bfore going back to applying pressure on my shoulder.

I felt him staring at me and looked up, "What?" I asked.

He walked up to me and squatted down, staring at my hand placed over my shoulder, "That wound should be seen too." He dropped his pack in front of him and began rummaging through it, "...No, no...ah, perfect. We got lucky with this one." He sat down and pulled an incredibly small medical kit from the pack and opened it.

"...N-no, it's fine. I-it's not that bad really." I stammered as I leaned away from him. "Save that for when we need it later."

"We won't need it later because if it's not seen to now, it'll get infected and anything we have here could become useless. We can't risk that this early on. It's better to deal with it now than too wait until we can't."

I looked away to the ground beside me and groaned, "...Fine." As much I wished it wasn't true, he was probably right. Slowly, I removed my jacket. The sight of the gash made me feel sick. It wasn't very deep but with the lack of muscle in such a place the bone could still be seen past all the blood; a shallow groove in it as well. _That's gonna scar. _Thorn quickly dug out a small roll of bandaging and alcohol swabs from the kit. If we were to use the bandages now, we'd already be out.

I gritted my teeth as he cleaned the wound. It went far beyond a slight stinging pain. It felt more like I was being mauled by a rabid animal. "...You don't have a very high pain tolerance, do you?" He stopped for a moment.

I hesitated and glanced to the side, "...I'm waiting for my own death, why would I need something like that?" He sighed and started to wrap the wound; the small roll of bandages quickly shrinking. The moment he finished.

"Hey, I'm not done yet." He said, sounding slightly disappointed. "There's still the one on your face."

"That one's fine." I muttered.

"At least let me clean it then."

"Like I said, it's fine. It's nothing serious."

"Not if it's bleeding like that." He pointed towards it. Hesitantly, I brought my hand towards the cut. I held it there for a moment before pulling it away to look at. The fingers were covered in blood, but not dripping like they'd been before. I heard a leaves crunching next to me and looked over to see Thorn already crouched down; the alcohol swabs in hand. Surprised, I pulled away. "Just hold still and it'll be done." Before I had a chance to do anything, he already began to clean it. The pain wasn't as bad this time but still there. Eventually I just gave up and let him finish.

"There, all done, though I wouldn't recommend moving your arm very much." He packed up the remaining medical supplies and set in next to him. I tried moving my arm a bit. Just simple movements, but only received a painful response. My hand found its way back to my shoulder, clutching it as if that would stop the pain. "...I told you not to move it right?"

"I was only testing it." I muttered.

"Well, I'm no doctor but I don't think testing will be needed. If it's as bad as it looks, then that arm will be just about useless for quite a while." I gritted my teeth. That was one of that last things I wanted to hear. A handicap during the games almost guaranteed an early death.

Thorn rummaged through the rest of our supplies, setting everything out on the ground around us. There was some half decent stuff for such a small pack. A few strips of dried meat, a coil of rope, a small bottle of iodine and an empty canteen. The meat wouldn't last long though, maybe a week at most. No cannons had sounded yet so the fighting was still going on meaning we couldn't go back to the stream yet for water. My jacket was left sitting next to me. I was not to keen about putting it on now that it was drenched in my own blood.

I sighed and began examining the pack of knives I'd picked up back at the Cornucopia. It had been worthwhile to get them. Among them was even a serrated blade. The shorter ones would be easier to hide and pull out when needed. The spear I'd grabbed earlier was handed to Thorn. He had gotten the survival pack which had already proven useful but he was still unarmed. If we happened to encounter certain tributes it could become a disadvantage for him. Besides, it wasn't like I would be able to use it very well anymore anyways.

The cannon sounded in the distance. It went off once, twice...seven times before it ended and the entire wood fell silent. Seven lives all ended in under an hour. "We should hide." Thorn's voice seemed much louder in the sudden quiet. I nodded and stood up slowly, grabbing the back of my jacket at the same time.

We walked through the trees, my left arm hanging limp and useless at my side. Always we remained alert for the sounds of anyone heading in even our general direction. Shadows barely visible in the constant darkness flashed by as we cautiously made our way through the woods, but none large enough to be human. I naively began to think we wouldn't be found when the sound of footsteps pounding against the ground reached my ears. I felt myself being pulled back only for a moment before I landed in a large bush and fell through, hidden beneath it. The branches clawed at my exposed skin. They pried at the bandaging on my shoulder; digging under it to the wound below. I was about to yelp in pain when he jumped in next to me, covering my mouth with one hand and signalling to be quiet with the other.

Only seconds later, the partial silhouette of a young boy came into sight. He crashed through the trees, tripping over just about everything; trying desperately to get away from something. Other louder footsteps could be heard behind him. The boy tripped again as an arrow flew directly over his head. His body went rigid as he turned to look behind him. With what weak light there was, I could see a look of pure terror written on his face. Scrambling to stand back up, he ran. He hadn't even made it ten feet before another arrow whistled through the trees. The boy didn't get so lucky this time. The arrow found its target deep in his back. A sound of pain escaped the boy's mouth before he fell to the ground.

A group of silhouettes, only identifiable as this year's Career pack, emerged from the trees behind him. They stood over top of his limp body watching with eerie, cruel smiles on their faces. The boy's rasping breaths could still be heard. His chest rose and fell slowly with his breathing as the blood pooled around him. A look of horror and pain showed on his face for only a second as the axe came down; the gleaming blade standing out in the darkness, to cut the arrow and the boy straight through the middle to the ground below. The canon sounded and the Careers erupted in cold laughter. I wanted to puke. To think that the Capitol found _this _entertaining? I'd always watched it happen to countless others through the television, so, why did seeing it like this disturb me to this level?

A girl stood above the body and removed the axe with seemingly sadistic pleasure. I squeezed my eyes shut as the boy's blood dripped from the large blade. I could hear it as they searched his body for anything they might deem useful. I opened my eyes as they all straightened up, grunting with disappointment at having not found anything. With one last evil grin at their latest kill, they casually strolled off, their silhouettes quickly dissolving into nothing.

Only moments after they disappeared from our sight and the sound of their footsteps faded, a single bird gave the final warning before the hovercraft appeared above us. The metal claw descended and clutched the bloody remains of what used to be a young boy. Slowly, it retreated back into the body of the hovercraft; a place I could only pray I wouldn't end up in; at least, for the time being.

A rustling sound next to me tore my sights from the now disappearing hovercraft as Thorn left the bush's cover. Hesitantly, I followed after him. He stood unmoving, where the boy's body had been. I knew the expression he wore all too well. It was guilt. I felt it too. Hunger Games or not, we'd been right here when that boy was killed yet we'd done nothing to help. That thought would haunt me for what little time I might have left. Biting my lip, I muttered, "We couldn't have saved him, only stalled his death and hastened our own."

Thorn didn't look up but the look in his eyes was sorrowful. He gritted his teeth and remained silent, staring at that spot for a few minutes before turning and walking away; his own form changing from a silhouette into nothing. I gave one last regretful look towards the dark, blood-stained ground in front of me, thinking of that poor boy, before following after Thorn. Just as his silhouette reappeared in my line of vision, he stopped. "So, this is the reality of the games? It's worse than I could have imagined. It makes you think twice about what you've done in the past and all the regrets you have, now that you're meeting your end."

"...D-don't talk like that!" I spoke before I realized it, "Don't talk about dying here. If either one of us gets to go home I'd rather if it were you. Your chances are better anyways."

Though I didn't see him move, I felt his hand grab my head and rustle through my hair. I was caught off guard by it and didn't particularly like the action, but didn't resist as he spoke again, "No, chance means nothing in here. And besides, I thought I already told you that I'd protect you, didn't I? Whether we make it to the end or not, it will still come down to that and I plan to follow through."

"You say it as though it's nothing. Throwing your life away in here? I wonder if when it actually comes down to that, I'll be able to let you do that."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But from the looks of things, it could be a while."

I sighed, "You really are like an older brother; too kind for your own good."

He laughed and let his hand drop back to his side, "That may just be true but anyways, let's get going before they come back. We still need to find a place to hide for awhile." Without waiting for an answer, he started walking again. I jogged after him, catching up only just before he disappeared into the dark cover of the trees.

It was already late afternoon when we finally settled on a tree. We were both exhausted and parched. Water would be first on our list after this though it should've been there already. The branches of the tree were forked and intertwining with some from the others nearby, creating a large enough space for the two of us to sleep relatively comfortably for the night. It wasn't exactly well hidden but was up high enough that we should be safe at least. The air began to nip at my exposed skin. Reluctant as I was, I put my jacket back on. The shoulder was still of course soaked but it was otherwise fine. At least now I would be mostly covered if anything happened. With our resting place for the night decided, we scanned the area for food and if possible, water. Anything edible we had now wouldn't last long and seeing as the stream back at the Cornucopia had been the only water source we'd seen this whole time, getting back there without any problems would be difficult. And even then, we didn't know if the water was safe to drink.

For the most part, my eyes had adjusted to the dark and I could see a few feet in front of me, though I still had to feel my way around some of the darker places. Before long, we came across what seemed like a wild dog though it was at the very least twice the size of any one I'd ever seen. It didn't seem to have seen us yet so we crept closer. We were about fifteen feet from it when I heard the sound of a twig snapping beneath my foot. The dog's ears twitched and its eyes began to dart around, searching for the source of the sound. I froze in place, almost too scared to breathe. A flicking motion out the corner of my eye caught my attention. Slowly and regrettably, I took my eyes off the dog and looked behind to where I had seen it. It flicked back into sight. I traced the quickly thickening object back to the dog and relaxed a bit, now knowing that I'd been alarmed by a tail. I took a second look and examined it more closely and, much to my dismay, the panic returned. "...U-um, Thorn..." I whispered, trying to be catious of how loud I was being, "I-it's not a d-dog." The scales were barely visible in the surrounding darkness; the edges shone faintly with an almost unnatural light. My eyes followed the pattern of scales onto its main body. They slowly came to an end halfway up its midsection and down the hind legs, cut off by thin layers of fur. The mutt's reptilian tail continued to flick back and forth but only for a moment. Its ears and eyes which only a moment ago had been searching, both stopped with the tail. It remained motionless before the head snapped around.

I locked eyes with it, remaining perfectly still, not daring to move even an inch. I wasn't expecting it though when it suddenly lunged. I fumbled for one of my knives. My hand seemed unable to get a good grip the handle as the mutt landed on top of me, forcing me to the ground. The knife flew from my hand, lodging itself in the ground behind me. The eyes and teeth were all I saw at the moment, bringing on new waves of panic. Its breath was foul; reeking of the scent of past meals still rotting on its teeth. The canines were far longer than normal, the wicked curve closely resembling a snake's. But its eyes, the pupils were slitted down to almost nothing. That alone would alert anyone to the fact that this _thing_, whatever it was, was venomous. One bite was all it would take. Even if I got away alive I'd soon succumb to the poison and its effects, whatever they might be.

The mutt's claws dug into my arms, preventing any movement on my part. My shoulder screamed in pain. The arm had been pinned in a position that made it feel like it was being ripped right out of the joint. The mutt's head reared back, preparing for a fatal bite and I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting to die. A loud yelp made me open my eyes. A drop of blood landed on my cheek and I looked up. Its head was still pulled back, a bloody spear protruding from a bloody hole in its neck only a foot or so from my own face. I watched silently as the life left the dog's eyes and the body went limp.

The grip from its claws loosened on my arms and using my good arm, I hauled myself out from under it, quickly coming to a stop. I gripped my shoulder and pulled my jacket off that arm, and watched as the already stained shirt quickly changed from white to a deep crimson. I pulled my eyes away and watched Thorn withdraw the now bloody spear from the mutt's neck and wipe it off on the ground. "Let's try not to let these things know where we are. I think we'll end up regretting it." The canon fired in the distance, the sound echoing through the trees.

We were both stone still for a moment. I waited to see if I could catch any other sounds nearby. When I heard nothing, I sighed quietly in relief. A loud growling noise nearby shocked me. It took a moment for me to realize it was my stomach, "...Do you think it's safe to eat?" Slowly, I half dragged myself over to where my knife had landed and yanked it from the ground; placing it in my pack.

He laughed and examined the mutt, "Who knows. But, I think it's worth a shot, how about you?"

My stomach growled again, "I'm up for almost anything." He hauled the dog up onto his shoulder. I looked at him, "Isn't that heavy?"

"Well, he's a big one but just think. The heavier he is, the better we eat tonight." He rolled his shoulder to reposition the dog and walked over to me, "Let's go back to the tree shall we?"

I sighed and stood up, "Ya, before another one of those things happens to stroll by." He only laughed in response. How he could act so happy and care-free at such a time was unknown to me. We walked back through the trees until we reached the one we'd decided on earlier. It was early evening now. Thorn skinned the mutt while I gathered nearby materials for a fire. We made it about twenty feet from the tree and began cooking the dog over top of it. The darkness of the woods came in handy here. The shadows were too thick for the smoke to be seen for a while. Although, the fire itself would have to be extinguished soon or it's flickering light attract unwanted attention.

Dusk had set in when the dog was finally finished. The fire was put out and the remains scattered. The dog was cut up and we both dug in. For a mutt, it made a good meal. The meat was tender and juicy, with a unique taste. It more or less quenched my thirst, though it was no replacement for water. I ate just enough to satisfy my hunger, not wanting to have to go out to find another one of these things for a meal. When we were finished, the remains were packed into a make-shift sack made from its skin. We made our way back to the tree and began climbing up. I had much more difficulty then I'd ever had. With my left arm hanging limp at my side, I couldn't use it to grip the trunk.

After what seemed like forever, and with much help from Thorn, managed to claw my way up to the branches that would be our resting placeand just sat still while Thorn used the rope to tie the skin sack to a large branch, suspended above the ground and out of reach of other animals. The Capitol's symbol appeared over our heads, lighting up the night sky. The anthem blared across the arena before they showed us the faces of the dead tributes. It started with District Five, meaning everyone from One through Four was still alive. It was the boy we'd earlier watched as he was hacked to death. The brutal image began playing over again in my mind, refusing to stop.

They showed the girl from Six, the boy from Seven and both from Eight. _So Amari's still alive then? No surprise there. _It continued with the deaths of both from Nine and Ten. The sky turned dark again as the Capitol's symbol disappeared. I remained silent, still staring up at the sky. In one day, there had been nine deaths, nine lives cut short by these games and numerous others now mourning their deaths while the Capitol awaited more bloodshed.

A few minutes passed before I brought myself around to talking. We began discussing shifts. Each would be approximately four hours long. I volunteered to go first. The thought of sleeping right now wasn't exactly calming. Once it was all settled, our things were placed so that if we needed to leave on a moment's notice, we'd more or less be able to.

When the night actually settled in, the shifts passed slowly, the seeming eternity you were forced to sit through, waiting to see if you would hear someone coming by to take out their competitors while they slept. The fear ate away at you as you anxiously awaited the end of your shift. And even then, it felt as though you were given only a few moments of rest before the cycle began again.


End file.
